Daily hay intake runs about 2–3% of body weight; these are typical per-head figures.
The winter or no-pasture stretch when you'll feed hay. Often 90–180 days.
It multiplies a typical per-head daily intake by your number of animals and the days you'll feed hay, then adds a 15% waste allowance for trampling, soiling, and storage loss. The total is shown in pounds and tons, and converted into approximate small square and large round bale counts.
How long you feed hay depends on your grazing season, which is mostly a function of rainfall and climate. To compare states on pasture and grazing length, see our best states for raising livestock guide.
A beef cow eats roughly 30 pounds of hay a day, plus about 15% for feeding and storage waste. Over a 120-day winter that's about 4,140 pounds — close to four large round bales per cow. Dairy cows and lactating animals eat more.
It depends on bale size. The calculator estimates both small square bales (around 50 pounds each) and large round bales (around 1,000 pounds each). Actual bale weight varies a lot with moisture and how tightly it's baled, so weigh a few if you can.
Animals trample, soil, and refuse some hay, and outdoor storage loses more. A 15% allowance is a reasonable default; feeding in racks or nets lowers waste, while feeding on the ground raises it.
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